Abhirami
is the Goddess of Thirukadayur near MayiladuThurai town of Tamil Nadu. The
Lord Shiva who presides over the temple is called Amritha Gateswarar. It is
believed that while transporting the Nectar (Amritha) which they got by
churning the ocean of milk, the Devas kept a pot of Amritha in
Thirukadayur.This pot became one with the land and became the siva linga. It
is also believed that it is at this temple that the Sage Markandeya prayed
Lord Shiva and could avoid death forever.

Abhirami
means “She who is attractive every moment of time”. This goddess is believed
to be extremely powerful and fulfills the wishes of all her devotees. One of
her great devotees of the past was Abhirama Bhattar. He was so much her
devotee that he never used to think of any other thing except her. This made
him look like a mad man. People even suspected him of practicing evil rites.
One day Raja Serfoji, the Mahratta king who was ruling over Tanjore visited
the temple. The Archakas told him about Abhirama Bhattar. The king while
returning to the palace casually asked Abhirama Bhattar the Thithi. Abhirama
Bhattar who was at the time seeing the Goddess in his reverie, answered that
it was Pournami (Full moon). Raja went his way. But actually the day was
Amavasya (New moon). Bhattar realized his mistake soon and felt extremely
sorry. He then set up 100 rope hangings and hung in them. Below he created a
huge fire. He prayed Goddess Abhirami to prove that he is right. This he did
by singing 100 stanzas in praise of Abhirami.As soon as one stanza was
completed one rope was cut. He also composed the stanzas in such a way that
the first word of a stanza was the last word of previous stanza (this style
of poem is called Anthadhi meaning end-start).It is believed that when he
completed the 79th stanza, the Goddess appeared before him and
reassured him that she will do the needful. She took her Thadanga (a diamond
ornament) and threw it in the sky where it stood. This was so sparkling that
it appeared like a full moon. The Goddess also ordered Abhirama Bhattar to
complete his poem. He continued and ended with 100 stanzas. Raja Serfoji
realized how great Abhirama Bhattar was and honoured him.

Each stanza
of the poem Abhirami Andhathi is a gem of poetry in itself. The language is
not the spoken Tamil and this was further complicated by the fact that the
first word of the next stanza should be the last word of the previous
stanza, making the thought process of the stanza entwined.

An attempt
has been made here to translate Abhirami Andhathi in to free verse and
following the rules of Andhathi.In other words, it would be Abhirami
End-start poem.

The meaning and
import of the stanzas composed by Abhirama Bhattar are retained in English
too. I hope you would enjoy this attempt. Not being a great poet either in
Tamil or English, I believe that there are likely to be errors and
shortcomings. I beseech you to pardon me for those.

Oh black
coloured Ganapathi.
Who is the son of the Lord of Chidambara,
Adorned by the red iris and perfumed Champaka flowers,
And my goddess Uma,
Who shares half her Lord’s body,
Please grant me, my desire,
That this song whose one verse begins,
With the last word of the previous one,
Praising my mother Abhirami,
Who created all the seven worlds,
Should remain in my mind forever.

1

She who has the
reddish sun as a tilaka,
She who is the red gem for those who understand her and worship,
She who is like the tender bud of pomegranate,
She who is the first ray of lightning,
She who is the reddish liquid made of saffron,
She who is like the Lakshmi sitting on red lotus,
She only is my life’s all help.

2

Help thine is
needed from thee,
Oh, most beautiful one in the three cities,
Who has the cool flowers as her arrows,
Who uses the
sweet cane for her bow,
And who has the
rope and the ankusha in her hand,
To know that
you are in the Vedas,
And in its
different branches,
And as holy
drops in Upanishads,
And as Pranava
in its roots,.
And Oh mother,
make me realize.

3

Realized I
have, Oh mother Abhirami,
Of the meaning
of Vedas, which no one knows,
And that you
shower the wealth of your grace,
On those who
worship at your feet.
Those who do
not understand,
The greatness
of devotees thine,
And fall from
hell to hell,
Parted company,
I have from those men.

4

Men, immortal
sages and devas,
Bow down at
your feet, Oh beautiful one,
You and he,
The holy one
who wears the garland of iris,
Who has the
coolest moon on his head,
And the snake
and the river,
Should always
my mind occupy.

5

Occupy you did,
those three great cities,
Oh you, whose
tender waist cries
Because it
carries thine two breasts,
Which are like
the saffron pot,
Oh you, who
made the poison taken by Siva into nectar great,
Oh you more
beautiful than the great lotus dear,
Oh most
beautiful one of all the world,
Keep thine two
holy feet my mother, on my head.

6

Head of mine is
below your lotus like feet,
Heart of mine
forever is full of manthras praising you,
Oh red colured
pretty one,
Think and
discuss I always,
With thine
devotees great,
Verses singing
thine praise and thine agamas and rules.

7

Ruling my life,
you always have,
Churn it like
curd,
Birth after
birth,
In miseries
great,
And take me to
salvation great,
Oh, you who has
reddish feet,
Who is forever
worshipped,
By the four
faced Lord, doing his creation nonstop,
By the great
Lord Vishnu, doing the upkeep,
And by thine
Lord Chandrasekara doing
His job of
destruction great,
Oh, mother mine
with reddish dot,
Who is always
pretty and winsome.

8

Winsome goddess
who is the consort of my Lord,
Who can cut all
attachments of mine forever,
Who is the most
pretty red coloured one,
Who killed
Mahisha that great ogre of yore,
And danced on
his head,
Who is a
forever a lass,
Who holds the
skull of Brhama in her hand,
Let your feet
never fade away from my thoughts.

9

Thoughts of the
Lord, you ever occupy,
You who is like
the ever-shining golden lamp ready to give light,
And are ready
to give milk, to the crying child,
From your ever
beautiful breasts,
Please come,
you who wears the necklace of pearl in your neck,
You who hold
the bow made of flowers in your hand,
And you who has
white teeth like the base of peacocks feather,
And my mother
come before me and stand.

10

Standing,
sitting, lying and walking,
I think and
worship your lotus like feet,
Oh grace giving
Uma, who is the ultimate aim of unwritten Vedas,
And who
appeared in the foothills of Himalayas,
You give us all
the perennial redemption,
And are of the
form of everlasting happiness

11

Happiness is
your feet,
Wisdom is your
feet,
Fully filled
nectar is your feet,
Your feet is of
the form of endless horizon,
Your feet is
the ultimate aim of the four Vedas,
Oh, mother
Abhirami,
The Lord who
dances in ash,
Keeps his head
on your feet and feels it apt.

12

Apt to my
thought is your fame,
Apt to my daily
learning is your name,
Apt to my
devotion is your two lotus like feet,
Apt to my
participation, day and night is the meeting of your devotees,
What good deeds
I did in previous birth to attain,
This glorious
state, oh mother,
Who like a
child’s play,
These Seven
worlds, created she.

13

She who creates
these fourteen worlds,
Takes care of
them forever
And destroys
them at the time of deluge,
For she is
greater than Siva who holds the poison in his neck,
For she is the
sister of Vishnu who looks after the worlds,
And she has
done great penance,
So except you
my goddess,
Will I another
salute.

14

Saluted by the
asuras and devas you are,
Meditated you
are by Vishnu and Brahma,
Always keeps
you in his mind the great Lord Shiva
But in this
earth, Oh mother Abhirami,
The devotes
easily get your grace.

15

Your grace to
get, they did penance,
Billions of
years in several births,
And they got
not only all the wealth this earth can give,
But also got
the pleasures of the land of gods,
And the
ultimate happiness,
Only few can
get,
Oh Mother who
talks better than the best poems,
You have the
heavenly beauty of the greenest parrot..

16

Parrot you are
oh mother,
Light in the
hearts of your devotees, you are,
The source of
all light you are,
Limitless empty
space you are,
And Mother you
are, who looks to us, as nature great,
Limitless you
are chained in my limited mind,
Is this not a
great wonder.

17

Wonderful is
your look,
Oh Goddess
Sundaravalli
The entire
lotus in this world,
Were beaten
hollow by your beautiful face.
Did you show to
the world thine victory,
Over the Lord
Shiva who made to ash,
The god of love
Manmatha,
Who is the
sweetheart of Rathi,
By thine
playful action
And you his
left side occupy.

18

Occupation of
the left side,
Of the great
Shiva,
And your life
of endless happiness with the Lord,
And your look
of a blushing bride,
With Him on
your wedding day.
Should be my
solace and help,
When the Lord
of death comes to my bed,
For you will
console me and appear.

19

Appearance
yours is so pretty,
And caused
happiness in me,
Which none can
measure.,
And filled my
mind with everlasting truth,
What greatness,
did you find in me,
Oh mother who
in the nine directions exist.

20

Exist do you
not, oh goddess mine,
In the left
side of the Shiva the great,
Or is it in the
beginning of Vedas that Brahma recites,
Or is it in the
end of Vedas, our great holy book,
Or is it in the
nectar drenched by the full moon at night,
Or is it in the
sea of milk where Indra’s wealth disappeared,
Or is it in the
mind of this lowly devotee,
Be pleased to
tell, Oh everlasting goodness.

21

Goodness and
goodness alone,
You are, Mother
mine
You are the
holy married women forever.
You have
breasts like the reddish pots,
You wear white
conch bangles in your pretty hands,
You are the
most accomplished in all the arts,
You share the
left part of the God, who wears the Ganga,
You are of the
colour of pure gold,
You are the
colour of beautiful black,
And you are
also of the pretty red colour of the sun,
Oh pretty one
who is as tender as a creeper.

22

Creeper of
tender Vanchi plant,
The karpaga
tree on to which the creeper climbed,
You who have
become ripe to make me realize,
You who have
the heady incense of the four holy Vedas,
You who are the
doe playing on the Himalayas,
You who are the
mother of all Gods like Brahma,
Give me boon to
die and never be born,
And me part of
yours make.

23

Make not I,
anything else,
As a part of my
mind,
Except thee, my
mother,
Nor will I part
crowd of devotes thine,
And nor will I
adopt any other truth except thee,
Oh Goddess, who
is wide and full in all the three worlds,
And also spread
beyond those worlds,
You who appear
before me as honey,
And you, who
are the pleasure of drinking honey,
You are in my
eye like a pearl.

24

Pearl like you
are,
You who are the
reddish aura of the pearl
You who are
like the pearl studded chain,
You who adds
beauty to the chain,
You who are
pain to those who do not fall at your feet,
You who are the
panacea for pains of those who fall at your feet,
You who are the
nectar of Gods,
After
worshipping at thine lotus feet,
Will I bow
before any other,
Now and now
after.

25

After your
devotees I ran,
And got from
them the boon of no birth,
Even in my
previous birth,
Oh mother of
the three great gods,
Oh Abhirami who
is panacea of the worlds ills,
What do I need
else,
If without
fail, I thee worship.

26

Worshippers
thine are those,
Who make these
fourteen worlds,
Build, move and
destroy,
Oh Abhirami,
who wears the kadamba flowers,
On her holy
hair,
It is your
grace,
That makes you
accept,
These words
foolish mine,
About thine
holy feet,
And happy my
mind is made.

27

Made you, this
sinner pure,
Placed in me a
melting heart,
Gave me thine
lotus like feet,
As an ornament
of my head,
Removed from my
heart all the dirt,
By thine stream
of loving grace,
Oh, beautiful
one,
Which grace of
thine shall I sing?

28

Singing with
meaning thine friends do,
Oh mother, who
is like a scented creeper,
You who merge
in to thine devotee’s heart,
Who worship
thee without break,
Is it not true?
That the reign
without end, penance that gives peace,
And a place in
the world of Shiva, they all will get.

29

Getting of
those powers great from her,
The Parashakthi
who gives such powers,
That power
which leads to the knowledge of Shiva,
The salvation
that sages who do penance get,
The seed for
such salvation,
The wisdom that
comes from such seed,
All these thou
art, my goddess who is in my wisdom, even then.

30

Then you
showered your mercy and made me thine,
Oh my mother,
is it proper for you Goddess mine,
To say that you
didn’t.
Whatever I do
to you from now on,
Even I fall in
the mid sea, my mother,
It is for you
to decide,
To save me or
not to save,
You who are
one,
You who are
several,
You who are
invisible, Oh Goddess Uma.

31

Uma and her
lord, who keeps her in his left,
Came to me as
one,
And ordered me
to love them without fail.
Now on, I tell
you all,
There are no
religions to think,
And more than
my mother dear,
And the pretty
sweet heart mine, them I desire.

32

Desire is the
ocean, in which I am chained,
And would have
been dragged by the Lord of Death,
Into the gory
hell, to suffer forever,
But for thine
graceful feet,
Kept by your
will on my sinner’s head.
How shall I
sing your grace,
Oh, my lord
Siva’s consort,
Occupying his
left, for your deed.

33

Deeds mine
would lead me one day,
To make the God
of death, call me and punish,.
And thou who
art the beautiful young lass,
With firm
pretty breasts, that attracts my lord,
Would say to me
then, “fear not, oh my son”.
Then I will
shout, “mother, oh my mother”,
And come to you
with a running rush.

34

Rushing to you,
your devotees come,
With a cry,
”you are our only protection, mother”
And then you
give them, your own heavens to reside,
And would go
and reside my mother Abhirami,
In the holy
face of Brahma,
The heart of
Vishnu wearing the garland of Kousthuba,
The left side
of my Lord Shiva,
The beautiful
lotus dripping honey,
The Sun with
the harshest rays,
And in the
pleasure giving moon.

35

Moon drenched
perfumed feet thine,
You keep on the
head of this poor devotee fine,
Though all the
gods in all the heavens,
Beseech, beg
and do penance great and get it not,
You who sleep
on the ocean of milk,
Thou who are
the eternal wealth.

36

Wealth you are
that is great,
The pleasure
you are that the wealth gives us all,
The trance you
are that the pleasure leads,
And the clarity
you are at the end of the trance,
But I am not
able to see and understand,
Thine
ever-shining grace that is bright,
Which removes
the darkness of ignorance from me,
Oh great
Goddess with a golden hand.

37

Hands thine
hold the bow of sweetest cane,
And the arrows
made of flowers,
Draped thou art
with chains of lovely white pearls,
Tied you have
in thine snake like hips,
The belt made
of gems,
Oh Goddess who
is with my lord,
Who wears the
eight sides as robe,
You wear silks
of coral red.

38

Coral red mouth
of hers,
And pearl like
teeth of hers,
That showers
the ever-pretty smile,
Make our Lord
weak in her love,
And so Worship
of the Goddess with tiny hip that bends,
With her pretty
heavy breasts,
Drives away
your desire for heavens to rule.

39

Rule I can
thine lotus like feet,
And to escape
the God of death,
I can have
sight of the edge of the eyes of yours,
And if the desire if I have,
For anything
else other than these,
It is my defect and not thine,
Consort of the
Lord,
Who burnt the
three cities,
With a bow as
big as mount Meru,
You on his left
reside.

40

Resides in thine forehead a third eye,
Oh my mother ,
Abhirami,
All the Gods,
to thine grace request and beg
And you can
never be seen,
By the ignorant
and the chaff,
Oh, mother
Abhirami.
This desire in
my mind to see you perhaps,
May be Result
of my previous lives good deeds.

41

Good deeds we
did, Oh mind,
And so the
flower eyed one,
With her
husband dear
Has come hither
in this crowd,
Of them who are
their devotees,
And her holy
feet on my head place.

42

Placed in their
neck those,
Pearl necklaces
fine,
Keep thine
towering pretty breasts,
Which are like
the mountains high,
Attract and
shake the heart of our God,
Oh pretty
mother,
You who have an
underbelly like the hooded snake,
Sweetest words
to attract and conquer you have,
And wear Vedas
as Anklets fine.

43

Anklets fine in
thine tiny feet,
The Rope and
Ankusa in thine pretty hands,
Those flowery
arrows with thee,
And sweetest
words fine,
Were all thine,
Oh Mother Abhirami.
To kill the
ogres of Tripura,
Who abused the
lord in their crooked mind,
When he who is
the colour of red,
Took the bow
which is like a mountain high,
You on his left
side lived.

44

Lived she as a
consort to Sankara our Lord,
And also was
she his mother holy,
And so she is
the greatest goddess known,
Waste I will
not this my life,
And never would
I try,
Any other
goddess to serve.

45

Serving not
thine holy feet,
And worshipping
not thee,
There were many
in olden times,
Oh mother
Abhirami.
Know not I,
Whether what I
do is sin,
Or holy worship
thine,
But Goddess
mine,
In thine holy
wisdom,
It is not
proper for thee,
Not to pardon
but hate.

46

Hateful
devotees to pardon.
Is not new to
you mother,
Even if they do
unpardonable sins.
You who reside
on the left,
Of the Lord
with the black neck,
Even if you
excuse me not,
I would your
holy feet praise in this life.

47

Life to
improve,
The method of
the God, I found,
Which my tiny
mind never could learn,
Which my
chattering mouth never could describe.
Beyond the
seven seas wide,
And those seven
mountains high,
In between the
sun and moon,
This glittering
method shines.

48

Shining moon he
has on his hill like tuft,
And on his
strong shoulders lay thou,
Like a perfumed
creeper tender,
Oh mother,
Abhirami.
Even if for one
second they think of thee,
Never will they
get any time ever again,
Another skin,
blood and flesh filled body,
Which is like a
hut.

49

Hut like body,
occupied by my soul,
Will one day be
ordered by the God of death,
And will
totter, worry and tremble,
Oh my mother
Abhirami.
Then come
before me with thine jingling bangled hand,
And say, “do
not fear”.
She who is the
musical note,
Fitted to the
strings of the lyre, Oh my leader.

50

Leader great of
ours,
You who is with
four faces,
You who is the
power of Narayana,
You who have
five flower bows in her lotus hands,
You who gives
pleasure as the soul of the world,
You who is
black and called Syamala,
You who wears
the serpent garlands,
You who is the
daughter of Matanga,
Your holy feet
is our only solace with out end.

51

Without end
those ogres thought,
Those three
holy cities were,
And removed
forever mercy from their heart,
But them
defeated the gods Shiva and Vishnu,
And those gods
cry to you for protection, Oh Abhirami.
So thine
devotees, Oh mother,
Will neither
die or be born in this earth,
Under this sky.

52

Sky, horses
gallant,
Elephants
great,
Palanquins to
travel.
Showering gold,
And costly
necklaces of pearl,
Oh the consort
of Lord Shiva,
Who has the
crescent on his head,
For those
devotees of your feet in their last birth,
Are prizes too
small.

53

Small is thine
waist, Goddess mine,
Fine is the red
silk you wear,
Golden and firm
are thine breasts,
Shining is the
chain of pearls yours,
And pretty is
thine glorious hair,
Adorned by
jasmine chased by the bees.
Meditating on
thy three eyed face,
When one is
alone,
Is the greatest
penance,
Don’t you
think.

54

Don’t you think
mother mine,
When one thinks
deep,
The insult of
others,
For claims
false that one makes
Is a base thing
to suffer.
And the feet of
thee great mother,
Makes one never
to reach,
To those who
are base and ignorant.
And who have
done no penance,
For you are
like a beacon light.

55

Lightning
billions,
Take one form
and it is she,
Who makes her
million devotees,
To be happy
deep from within their mind.
Whether believe
you or not,
In the truth
which was, is and will be,
There is
nothing else to be had,To you from
that power great.

56

Power great
united in one,
But spread in
various shapes.
Wherever you
see,
That is she my
mother,
Who is beyond
all that you see,
But never goes
she out,
From my mind,
which is hers,
Knowledge of
this they always had,
The Lord who
slept on a banyan leaf then,
And Shiva my
lord.

57

Lord mine gave
you two measures of rice,
My mother, but
thou,
Fed this entire
world forever using those.
But you made
me,
Who lives
praising thee,
Using sweet and
chaste Tamil thine,
To tell truth
and lie to another,
At various
times,
Is this thine
mercy, Goddess who is red.

58

Red lotus is
thy seat,
The lotus of my
mind is thy seat,
Oh mother, who
has breasts,
Like the lotus
buds when you were young,
You, my mother
who has lotus like eyes,
That shower
mercy on us,
I have never
seen anything else
Except thy face
that is like a blooming lotus fine,
And thine hands
with the reddish tint,
Which is my
only refuge.

59

Refuge I never
had,
Except the
thought of thee.
But I request
you, oh mother,
Who has the
sweet cane as her bow,
And five
flowers as arrows,
To be like the
mother on earth,
Who has the
softest feet,
Pardon and
love,
But not to
punish for mistakes great,
Their sons,
whom they fed their milk.

60

Milky sweets
are thine words, Oh mother,
Did you not
find a better place to keep,
Thine feet as
soft as snow,
Than the head of the God Vishnu
Or the long
locked head of Shiva,
Worshipped by
all others,
Or those
platforms of Om,
Those sing the
four Vedas,
And chose to
keep on the dirty smelling head of mine,
Which is like
that of a dog.

61

Dog like, was I
even then,
When thou saw
me oh my mother,
And decided in
your wish divine,
To rule my mind
and made me,
Know thine
divine grace.
How lucky I am,
Mother, who is
the daughter of mountain great,
And red eyed
Vishnu’s sister of gold.

62

Golden bow made
of Meru,
Used he to
destroy,
Those three
cities great,
And killed he
the elephant,
Send to kill
him once,
And wore he its
skin as his robe,
But made you a
mark on his body strong,
Scars by thine
embrace tight, Oh mother great,
Your bow of
cane and arrows of flower,
Are forever in
my mind, I tell.

63

Telling true
tidings,
That you are
the goddess of six different faiths,
Is like beating
the hardest rock,
With a tender
bamboo, Oh mother,
For followed
they other faiths,
Knowing thee
well, those fools,
Without any
need.

64

Without any
need,
I will not
love,
Those small,
small gods.
Never will I
sing except your fame,
And never will
I see anything except thee,
And thine
glittering luster,
In this earth
and on its sides,
And also in
other worlds of this universe.

65

This universe,
this skies,
And this
glorious earth,
Saw the great
God Shiva,
Burn the God of
love Manmatha,
During his
penance great.
To him you gave
love,
And the wise
god, with six heads,
And twelve
hand, as his son,
Oh mother, Does
it not show thine great strength.

66

Strength Know I
not,
Me the
insignificant one.
Except thine
flower like feet,
I don’t have
anything else, oh mother,
You who sit
with the Lord,
Who has the
golden bow.
These words
mine written thus,
Even if they
are bad and worse,
Since they are
your names,
Become thine
holy chant.

67

Chanting thy
names, and praising thee,
Those who do
not do even for a while,
Loose their
position and ken,
And loose all
they had in life,
And would all
day beg all over the street,
In this wide,
wide earth.

68

Earth, water,
fire, wind and the sky,
And the taste,
sight, sound smell and the feeling,
Ingrained are
these, made as one in thine holy feet,
Oh
Sivakamasundari,
And those ones,
who do penance of thine feet,
Will forever
get all the riches great.

69

Riches great,
they will get,
Knowledge fine
they will get,
A mind that
never tires, they will get,
Godly beauty
they will get,
Friends who do
not deceive they will get,
And all this
and more they will get,
From the
incense filled flower haired Abhirami’s,
Slanting sight
from her beautiful eyes.

70

Eyes mine were
filled by the pleasure at the sight of you,
Who was in the
city in the forest of Kadamba,
And was playing
the Veena kept in your hands,
With the
sweetness of a soulful song.
Please say oh,
mother,
Who was she of
the green colour and darling of earth,
And who was she
born as a tiny tot in the family of Madanga,
Is it not my
goddess who is the greatest beauty.

71

Beauty of hers
that is beyond compare,
Oh tired mind
of mine.
When she who
has the reddest feet
By walking in
the way of Vedas, our books great,
When she who is
like the tender climbing plant,
With the
crescent in her head,
And when she
who is youthful in colour green,
Is there, never
will there be, problems for me.

72

Problems for me
to disappear,
I worship thee
oh mother,
And if I am
again born in the world so cruel,
It is your
problem not mine,
Oh goddess who
has a hip like the lightning in the sky.
Because for his
problem to solve when you were irate,
Our lord Shiva
kept his head on thine feet,
Which is like
the lotus that is red.

73

Red colour she
kept,
Kadamba flowers
she kept,
Five flower
arrows she kept,
Bow made of
sweet cane she kept,
The midnight
time when Lord Bhairava,
Was worshipped
she kept.
But for me who
sings her praise,
Kept she her
lotus like feet.
Also kept she
her name,
As the beauty
of Tripura,
And her two
merciful eyes.

74

Three eyed
Shiva, the four Vedas,
The Lord Vishnu
and God Brahma,
Praise the holy
feet of Abhirami.
If one thinks
her holy feet,
AS his only our
only begotten wealth,
Then he would
be in the world of Indra,
And see the
dances and songs from maidens fine,
In the shadow
of the all wish giving tree,
And be there
and forever live.

75

Live they will
in the shadow of wish giving tree,
And will never
be born,
To another
mother again,
If they raise
above the seas,
And above the
fourteen worlds,
And body of
mother with flowery hair, only think.

76

Thought of thee
and thine grace,
Helped me stop
the god of death in his way.
Oh you who is
in the left side,
Of Lord Shiva,
who wears the garland
of iris,
Followed by
flying bees for their scent,
Oh mother
Bhairavi.

77

Bhairavi,
Panchami, Pasangusa,
Panchabani,
Kali, Mandali, Malini, Sooli, Varahi,
Chandi who
takes the life of bad ones,
And greatly
glittering Vairavi,
All these names
the four Vedas,
Tell thine
devotees to chant.

78

Chant they that
thine breasts are like,
The ivory box
and like the golden pot,
Applied with
perfumed sandal paste,
Oh Abhirama
Valli.
Thine necklace
of pearl, ear studs of diamond,
Merciful eyes,
coral mouth and pearl white teeth,
I have written,
Are the only
companions for my dying eyes.

79

Eyes of
Abhiramavalli has divine grace,
And I have the
mind,
That worships
her as the Vedas tell.
When that royal
path I have,
Why should I
only now sin,
And fall in the hell forever,
By the bad
peoples company.

80

Company of
thine devotees that you gave,
Trouble free
life that you gave,
Entry thine
into my mind fast,
From where you
made me act,
And Appeared
thou before me in thine true form,
As my eyes
danced madly at thine sight,
All these are
but,
Thine will and
drama,
Oh, my
beautiful Goddess.

81

Goddess Mine,
Bow I will not
before other Gods,
For they are
only in thine employ,
Nor I will
praise these gods in my mind.
Move I will not
with people, who deceive,
But will never
ever quarrel,
With those
great ones,
Who do not say
mine and thine,
I, Oh mother,
with wisdom small,
For mine eyes
are but thine light.

82

Light of thine
glittering body,
Lights the
entire universe without fail,
Oh, beauty who
sits on lotus red,
Thought of thee
in penance deep,
Makes my mind
leap,
And drowns it
in happiness great,
How can I
forget ever your grace.

83

Graceful new
flowers, they who shower,
At thine holy
feet,
Day and night,
Would be
worshipped by Gods,
And for sure,
The Iravatha,
the elephant of gods,
The holy Ganges
of the sky,
The powerful
Vajarayudha of Indra,
Karpaga, the
wish-giving tree,
Will they
forever have.

84

Having all that
she wishes fulfilled,
Clothed in red
silk fine,
Glittering
crowning glory on her head,
She never
reaches the ones who deceive.
She who has
narrow hips like thread,
She who is the
left part of our Lord,
She who makes
me never to be born again,
Should be
worshipped by you,
So that no more
birth you see.

85

Saw I, in all
the sides,
And I saw her
hands with the Pasangusa,
I saw those
five arrows made of flower,
Followed by
bees,
I saw the bow
made of sweet cane,
I saw the
Goddess Of Tripura,
Who puts an end
to my sufferings great,
I saw her
narrow hips,
I saw her
covered breasts,
Applied with saffron,
And I saw her
garland of pearls.

86

Pearl studded
feet thine,
And graceful
hands thine
Which are
searched by Vishnu my God,
Which are
searched by Brahma the creator,
And which are
searched by Vedas that are holy,
Show them to me
and save,
When the God of
death,
Drives his
three pronged spear at me,
Oh goddess
great,
Who has milk,
honey and sweet syrup like words.

87

Words and
thoughts can never describe,
Thine holy
form, mother mine,
But how come I
see you in a simple form,
Oh Goddess, Who
made Lord Shiva,
Who burnt the
God of love with his sight,
Look at thee
with love
And give thee
half his side,
You are my
forever refuge.

88

Refuge seeking
I came to thee,
So I request
thee mother,
Never ever
compare me with thine devotees great,
And send me
away from thee,
Who is the
consort of He,
Who made Meru
Mountain his bow,
And cut one
head of Brahma,
To burn the
city of Tripura,
And gave you
his left to glorify.

89

Glorious lotus
like you are,
And grant
salvation to those,
Who keep their
head,
on your holy feet,
Oh mother mine,
Do come with
thine Lord,
In whose left
side you are,
When I breath
my last,
And give me
boons so that I am not sad.

90

Sadness to
prevent in me,
She entered the
lotus of my mind,
So that none of
the joy giving things,
Are required by
me in this world from now on,
My mother
Abhirami,
Who helped the
Devas of Heaven get,
The nectar they
got from the sea of milk,
She who is
pretty and thin.

91

Thin as
lightning your hips are,
Tender breasts
for the Lord you have,
Oh, mother
Abhirami,
For thine
devotees great,
Who praise
thee,
And the holy
sages,
Who know the
Vedas,
Thou grant
their desire,
To sit on the
white elephant of heaven,
And make them
of happy mind.

92

Mind Of mine,
like the molten gold,
Was shaped and
made in to your slave,
By devotion to
thine feet.
And where is
the need,
For me to
follow some one else.
Or for me to
follow their path,
Oh Goddess
mine,
The holy
trinity ever praises thine smile.

93

Smile thee
mother, who has the world,
When you hear,
That you were
the tiny tot,
Born to the
king of mountain great,
For really you
are without birth and death.
And when they
sing that thine eyes are like Doe,
And thine
breasts are like sweet cane,
All they tell
you are but lies,
For words
mother mine,
Are of no use
to describe thee.
Devotees thine
come to thee, oh mother,
Not because
they understand but because they desire.

94

Desire great
thine devotees have,
And their eyes
are full of happy tears,
Their body is
thrilled thinking of thee,
Their mind is
full of joy,
Their brain is
dulled into that of a fool,
Their words
don’t flow from their tongue,
Their look is
that of mad, mad man
For they are in
love with thee,
Oh, Goddess
Abhirami,
Only thine path
is good.

95

Good even if it
comes,
Or bad even if
it comes,
Is all the same
for me,
For I do not
know any thing that is mine.
Have I not
given all that I have to thee,
Oh imperishable
mount of virtue,
Oh sea of
grace,
Oh Himalayas
daughter who is pretty and tender.

96

Tender climber
like she is,
Yamalavalli
sitting in the lotus ,
That has opened
petals, she is,
With nothing
unholy in her she is,
Of the colour
of green,
That words can
never unfold, She is,
And peahen
trained in all arts, she is,
And those who
but worship her,
With devotion
they can muster,
Would the seven
worlds rule,
Like the Sun.

97

Sun and the
moon,
Fire and Kubera
the lord of Riches,
Indra the Lord
of Devas,
Brahma, Siva
and Vishnu,
Agasthya the
sage,
Lord Muruga and
Ganapathi,
And Kama, the
God of love,
And many more
that is beyond count,
Always worship
thine feet,
My maiden fine.

98

Maiden fine,
When Shiva the great,
Took thine lotus like feet,
And kept it on his head,
Where went Pot of fire,
And Ganga the river, from his head.
You only enter the mind,
Of people who know the truth,
And not in theirs,
Who live on lies,
Oh nightingale fine.

99

Nightingale of
the forest of Kadamba trees,
Peahen dancing on the Himalayas,
The sun shining
over the skies,
The swan that
sits on lotus pretty,
Thou were given
to the Lord of Kailasa,
By Himalaya the
king of mountains,
Oh pretty
haired one.

100

One, whose
breasts divine,
Are Fondled by
the Lord of Kailasa,
Who wears the
Garland of iris,
Emits great
perfumes divine.
One who has
shoulders like bamboo,
One who has the
bow made of sugarcane,
One who has
arrows made of flowers,
One has pearly
white teeth,
One who has doe
like eyes,
You never leave
my mind forever.

101

Forever they
suffer not in this life,
Who worship the
mother of us all,
My mother
Abhirami,
Who created the
universe,
Who has the
colour of flowers of pomegranate,
Who protects
the entire world,
Who has with
her the pasangusa,
And the bow
made of sugarcane,